In late 2020, amidst the surge of Dalgona coffee and banana bread on Instagram, I received a frantic call from one of the weavers I had previously collaborated with during my tenure at Vidya Bharti. It had been nearly six months since he or his fellow weavers had seen any income due to the full swing of lockdown measures. At the time, I was managing the Garvi Gurjari franchise in Bombay. He reached out, hoping I could sell some of his stock at our store. However, our operations were restricted to alternate days per Maharashtra regulations, and generating sales seemed impossible. I went to bed that night with a heavy heart, pondering his plight. It was during a discussion with my husband, now co-founder of Rudhvay, that the seed of an idea took root. We realized that the enforced downtime could be an opportunity to create a marketplace for Indian artisans.
Rudhvay emerged from a deep-seated commitment to support local artisans, champion their craftsmanship, and inspire consumers to shift away from imported and fast fashion products. Instead, we advocate for embracing handmade, locally sourced, sustainable goods—from apparel to artifacts, home decor, and accessories. In essence, Rudhvay stands as a testament to the power of community, sustainability, and the transformative potential of conscious consumerism.
And this was the core WHY behind Rudhvay!